Jaipur Pink Panthers secured a narrow 30-27 victory over defending champions Haryana Steelers in Play-in 1 of the Pro Kabaddi League at the Thyagaraj Indoor Stadium on Saturday.
The defenders excelled as
Aryan Kumar achieved a High Five while Deepanshu Khatri earned four points for the Pink Panthers, and Nitin Kumar scored seven points.
For the Steelers, Neeraj’s High Five was the standout performance.
Both teams had a topsy-turvy start, trading early blows in the first 10 minutes. Nitin Kumar initiated the attack for the Pink Panthers by getting Neeraj out, but Shivam Patare quickly responded by dismissing Deepanshu Khatri. The raiders shone initially, but the defenders were equally proficient.
Reza Mirbagheri tackled Vinay, Mohit brought down Shivam, and Neeraj single-handedly caught Ali Samadi with an ankle hold. Despite this, the Pink Panthers took a slight lead as their defenders struck repeatedly.
The pressure on the defending champions increased in the second quarter, led by the prowess of the Pink Panthers’ Nitin Kumar. He began with a two-point raid that sent Ashish Narwal and Neeraj to the bench, leaving only Jaideep on the mat. Jaideep was then tackled by Mohit, resulting in the first ALL OUT of the match for the Steelers.
The lead extended to six points. Steelers’ Vinay added a bonus point, but the Pink Panthers remained decisive. Another successful raid by Ali Samadi eliminated Jaideep, while Deepanshu tackled Shivam again. Aryan Kumar’s tackle on Vinay brought the score to 18-10 in favour of the two-time champions.
The Steelers worked hard to get back into the match. Neeraj tackled Parvinder, and Shivam got Mohit in an impressive raid, reducing the lead to six points. However, the Pink Panthers had a counter-attack for every move.
With 2 minutes left, Aryan Kumar’s tackle on Vinay, which completed his High Five, effectively sealed the win for the Pink Panthers. The defending champions were eliminated from the tournament after a three-point loss.
(With Inputs From PTI)
